Where I'm Coming From and Initial Thoughts:
A friend recommended this book to me. I shrugged it off with the typical, "Oh yeah, I'll definitely read this book" without a mind to ever touch it. Based on the title, I was initially turned off by the book. I had no interest whatsoever. Then I noticed it on the top of Kindle and NYTimes Bestseller lists. I thought, all these people can't be wrong right? I read some Amazon User Reviews and they were mixed (I read these just to get a flavor of what people think. But I just take these with a grain of salt). I also saw that there was a movie coming out. Christoph Waltz is in it. I definitely want to read this before the movie so I can get a clear idea of how the original work is.
My initial feelings on the book are: This will probably be an enjoyable experience although there is no real driving force for me to read this book. I'm in this for the journey. Before even reading a word, I would say that I am about a 3/10 on the interest scale. I will start it. But if it is unbearable, I will either power through it or put it down.
The Book:
The Prologue describes a stampede of animals. Because of the inherent chaos of a stampede, I'm confused. I know I'm not supposed to know the context of such an event. It abruptly stops and the book official begins with an old man. After reading the whole book, I understand why Gruen starts with the present and it fits the book perfectly. The only issue for me was that it was boring. I had no interest in reading about a senile old man. Being in his mind, he knows he sounds stereotypically old. It made me think, if you know how you sound, then why don't you do things differently? Maybe he's too old to care about what others think.
The novel switches between the present and past as Jacob remembers. Gruen does a great job in developing both plotlines simultaneously building towards the climax. Although I didn't care much for Old-Jacob originally, I felt sympathy for him as my reading progressed. I really softened up for him when he thought about how his sons really don't care about him. Old-Jacob's family is a really great silent character. They never manifest themselves in the book, but they are an important part of Jacob's life. My initial disinterest in reading his story in the beginning transformed to excitement and impatience to learn more.
The flow of the book is very organic. It's not forced. It just flows like how events in life transition seamlessly into each other. Jacob, the main character and narrator. He speaks in a relatable, down to earth tone. He is a product of his environment. The Depression and death of his parents causes him to go on this journey and the outside forces of the other characters affects his decisions. In fact, Jacob is not the only dynamic character. All other people serve a purpose. I know that's not how life really is, but I believe that everyone you meet will affect you in some way no matter how minuscule the effect. It is clear from this novel that all these characters are intertwined despite being a roustabout or a performer.
Gruen does a great job in getting her audience to understand the history and context behind the times. She illustrates the consequences of prohibition very well with Camel as well as with August (how they need to go all the way to Canada). The speakeasy scene was one of the highlights of the novel. I really felt like I was living in the moment.
The one shortcoming in this whole tale is the love story. I didn't feel a great dynamic between Marlena and Jacob. It seemed the basis of their love was "I would not treat you like that. I respect women." Which seemed very superficial. There didn't seem to be a deeper connection between them. Yes, Rosie the elephant brought them together. Yes, they have common interests in animals (Marlena loved her horses and Jacob took care of the horses) was there. But there wasn't anything deeper. The love story felt a little forced through the motions because there was so much going on. After the speakeasy scene, Jacob goes in for a kiss. There wasn't any tension there. Marlena just runs away. There was a gradual progression in their love but it didn't expand enough for me to really care about their relationship. They never had a disagreement with which the resolution would strengthen their relationship. Overall, the romance was lacking.
Conclusion:
Overall, this novel was a very satisfying read. Gruen does a great job creating the magical (and disgusting) atmosphere of a circus in the 1930s. That's what I would read the book for. It is an overall great journey for the main character, Jacob. However, if you like books with romance expertly intertwined in the plot, I wouldn't read this. The romance was a small added bonus.
Breakdown:
Plot: 6.5/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Character Development: 8/10
Overall (Not and Average): 7.5/10
Should you read this? Yes. You'll be sucked into a world of menageries and organic (real, round) characters.
